No, it is not just "more hours." Associates and partners alike are already putting in "more hours." What this really signifies is that the "class" distinctions between lawyers are widening, and there will be no reversal of that trend....

This means that competition for the best talent will only continue to spiral. But more importantly, there will be less and less room for error. Associates at premier firms are already walking across a tight rope. That won't change--although the wire is getting higher and higher. The real, rubber-hits-the-road change, is that the safety net for those who falter is getting smaller, and farther away. Why? The largest firms are not only international powerhouses, of course, but they are grabbing up the premier domestic work. The market of "safety-net" firms has, and will continue to shrink. Bottom line: blink and you will be out of the promised land, your salary will shrink by a third, perhaps more, and the doors to ground-breaking rs to ground-breaking work will be increasingly closed to you. You'll be on the outside, looking in, and the glass is getting thicker. Enjoy the money. No pressure.

No, it is not just "more hours." Associates and partners alike are already putting in "more hours." What this really signifies is that the "class" distinctions between lawyers are widening, and there will be no reversal of that trend....

This means that competition for the best talent will only continue to spiral. But more importantly, there will be less and less room for error. Associates at premier firms are already walking across a tight rope. That won't change--although the wire is getting higher and higher. The real, rubber-hits-the-road change, is that the safety net for those who falter is getting smaller, and farther away. Why? The largest firms are not only international powerhouses, of course, but they are grabbing up the premier domestic work. The market of "safety-net" firms has, and will continue to shrink. Bottom line: blink and you will be out of the promised land, your salary will shrink by a third, perhaps more, and the doors to ground-breaking rs to ground-breaking work will be increasingly closed to you. You'll be on the outside, looking in, and the glass is getting thicker. Enjoy the money. No pressure.